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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️

@napaaqtuk.bsky.social
36K followers 2.4K following 8.9K posts

Inupiaq, scientist of host-microbe interactions, mom, runner, news junkie, not necessarily in that order. I speak for myself. She/her. Only reskeets posts with alt text. Unapologetically typo prone, doesn't use AI.

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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 2h
I'm looking for a figure that shows the order that English words are usually in. I know there was a post on here or the other site years ago, I think for ESL learners...anyone have that? I'm teaching a writing class and that would help a couple of students. TIA!
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Liz Neeley @lizneeley.bsky.social · 12h
Each Friday night, I write a briefing on what happened in US science & higher ed. 🧪  Oct 2 (Year 2, Week 40) - NIH gets $$ out, but $1.4 billion “diverted out” of NSF research funding - student journalism, suppression & censorship - 21 states sue EPA & so much more buttondown.com/liminalcreat...
buttondown.com
Year 2, Week 40
Sept 26-Oct 2 – ...and statistics
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 6h
TW in the story for stalking, human remains, &...twisted serial killer stuff. Um, this story is HORRIFYING, but also if convicted he may only get a $10,000 fine & serve under 4 years? & he has remains that might be from a Native American & that is just an aside?!? Fricking WI serial killer vibes
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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 18h
While digging around their website, I found their ethics policy—including a section on AI-generated content. I suspect that’s a part of what happened here. And I’m upset about that too! I did NOT speak to a journalist with the assumption that my interview would be funneled into producing AI slop.
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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 22h
Earlier this week, I agreed to interviews with two USA Today journalists. They wrote fantastic articles about the Cornell case that I'm proud to have been a part of. What I did not know is that their employer considers interviews to proprietary and opens up recordings to be used by any journalist.
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 6h
Appreciate this Code Switch episode about public schools & the decision that Black (& Indigenous & etc) make: do I put my kid in a predominantly white school where they will get a better education but be the "only", or in a "bad" school with others who look like them? www.npr.org/2026/10/02/n...
npr.org
Let’s stop pretending we desegregated schools : Code Switch
Seventy years after Brown v. Board of Education, Black parents still face an impossible choice about where to send their kids. Gene talks with his twin sister about the different choices they’ve made ...
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 23h
Oh. My. Gosh...this thread and the paper it discusses explains the ick I felt as I watched this video! The heritage guy made a point of talking about civility so many fricking times while ignoring the arguments. Honestly just made himself look ignorant. bsky.app/profile/bake...
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Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I read the ending and I wanted to koolaid man through a wall!!
Screenshot of article which reads: To restore a functioning and 
pluralistic democracy in the United States, reversing over a decade of 
democratic backsliding in the world’s oldest democracy, the thing to 
“fix” is not polarization. Polarization is the country’s immune response 
to an unpopular, antidemocratic, and intentionally divisive faction grabbing for disproportionate power to the detriment of national success, 
reputation, and democratic self-government. Tamping down that immune response only allows this minority faction to have greater control.Screenshot of article which reads: But the fury of the argument shows the importance of the outcome. 
When we focus on polarization as the problem, the solution is for ev-
eryone to quiet down and be “civil”—an outcome that benefits those 
who are willing to grab as much power as they can without concern 
for legality or civility. When we see the problem for what it is, the 
solution is to defend the most robust social progress in American his-
tory—progress that has already been codified into law and enjoyed 
by everyone alike. U.S. democracy needs leaders who are willing to 
defend those rights and voters who are willing to hold accountable the 
leaders who will not defend them. It does not need everyone simply to calm down.
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
We are excited to share research, but I want to take some time to share a little about myself. I LOVE science, but I also spend a lot of time advocating for more inclusive science. This work is promoted by my own obstacles in pursuing science which I talk about here: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
cell.com
Transforming myself and academia for good
Dr. Chrystal Starbird is the winner of the first Rising Black Scientist Award for a post-graduate scholar. For this award, we asked emerging Black scientists to tell us about the experiences that spar...
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Caræsten 🇵🇸 @cara.city · 13/09/2026
for two months, I've been flying drones over Flock cameras to situation them in space and geography; I even got my commercial drone license in order to do it. I'd like to share this project with you all: it's called Records Of Enemy Surveillance: recordsofenemysurveillance.com
image of a residential intersection with one red car driving across it and a baseball field in the backgroundblack and white dithered image of two red squares around the flock cameras in the previous image, on either side of the intersection
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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
There is a lot of talk on Cornell’s campus right now about abolishing the Cornell Police Department. That should be a common sense decision that everyone can get behind. Schools have too much power over their students.
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Michael D. Green, PhD @michaeldgreen.phd · 02/10/2026
Gr8 chart here from @jaspar.bsky.social of @statnews.com Thankfully for NIH awards, it’s possible to evaluate claims like “we want to support early-career scientists” with data. The data does not support that claim.
A chart that shows that funding early career scientists have plateaus

Early-career grant funding has plateaued since 2024
Value of early-career project grants awarded in 2026 vs. previous years
1.85B1.918
1.5B
1.48B
1.5587.62฿
1.7B 1.74B
1.98P1.94E1.91B
1B
500M
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Early-career grants included activity codes F30, F32, T32, T43, T35, TL1, K01, K08, K12, K22, K23, K24, K43, K99, and ROO.
Chart: J. Emory Parker/STAT • Source: STAT Analysis of NIH RePORTER
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Immunoprof (she/they) @immunoprof.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Hey data viz teachers….here’s a FANTASTIC example for class.
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
"As Kate Manne — a professor at Cornell — noted in the Cut: There is a major difference in how the university treated protestors and how they treated the alleged rapists"
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Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
“Every single mom chat I’m in is talking about this story. Many of the women are noting: Their husbands hadn’t even heard about this story. The mens’ group chats aren’t blowing up on it. It’s not all over their feeds. I resent this, too.” SAME
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Artologica aka Michele Banks @artologica.net · 02/10/2026
Tomorrow!
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franz @franzanth.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
the man's still going albeit 602 clam facts in debt
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Chrystal Starbird @drstarbird.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
And… I am SO excited to share the first research preprint from my group! In this paper we determined several cryoEM structures to visualize the entire cell-to-cell bridging complex formed by TAM receptor and ligand, bringing into 3D a common graphical depiction. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
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Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra @jrossibarra.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Just over two weeks left to apply! I may be biased, but it’s hard to imagine a better place to do plant evolutionary biology.
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Faith Kearns, Ph.D. @fkearns.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Gen Xer here - I had all my M-M-R shots as an infant and a booster in the early 90s as an undergrad. Got my titers checked last year and my mumps immunity was extremely low so I got another MMR booster. Turns out it might be a thing for certain age groups and if you’re concerned get another shot!
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Yesterday was Orange Shirt Day, in which we reflect on the Boarding schools that Native kids were forced to attend. That includes Alaska Native kids, some of which were sent as far away as Pennsylvania. archives.alaska.gov/education/bo... #OrangeShirtDay
archives.alaska.gov
Boarding Schools | Alaska State Archives
Primary source materials focused on the history of boarding schools in the state of Alaska. Links to digitized resources and descriptions provided by the Alaska State Archives.
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Count Draugula @artd.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
"They used to hear voices. Before constituents could search. Back in the days when those who did not file called the filers witches, and lobbyists. And citizens dreamed they flew through the air, on forms powered by notaries."
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Climatologist49 @climatologist49.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
September 2026 finishes with 11 days having a moose sighting after encountering this cow and her calves this morning. Pretty remarkable considering I was out of state on 13 of the days this month.
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Rebecca Nagle @rebeccanagle.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
ictnews.org/politics/sou...
ictnews.org
South Dakota state senate candidate wants to give Lakota people hope - ICT
Celestine Stadnick, Oglala Lakota, seeks the South Dakota State Senate seat that serves the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I REALLY enjoyed this book! Even if you think you know all the ways being a Black women costs more, read this book BC there are likely ways you know nothing about.
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Jesse Shapiro @bjesseshapiro.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Glyphosate-based herbicide exposure triggers genetic adaptation but not diversity collapse within bacterioplankton species (reposting with the article title and a gratuitous glam shot of the lake these bugs called home until we rudely plopped them into experimental ponds...)
Screenshot of the article title: Glyphosate-based herbicide exposure triggers genetic adaptation but not diversity collapse within bacterioplankton speciesPhoto of a beautiful blue sky with some clouds reflected in a lake. The surrounding hills are dappled with red and gold fall foliage.

Photo credit: Akhil Kholwadwala
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Really enjoyed this discussion from @microbiologysociety.org about whether Blastocystis is a "parasite" (as it's long been known) or whether it's actually a member of the microbiome. [Microbiology Society] Blastocystis: friend or foe? podcastaddict.com/microbiology...
podcastaddict.com
Microbiology Society - Blastocystis: friend or foe?
Listen to Microbiology Society - Blastocystis: friend or foe? by Microbiology Society on Podcast Addict. It's the most abundant eukaryotic microbe in humans… But what role does it play in our bodies? For decades, Blastocystis has been thought of as a parasite just like other protists that lurk within humans, such as Plasmodium or Giardia. But research is increasingly finding the opposite to be true, and scientists across the world are fighting to change this perception.This month on Microbe Talk, Lilly is joined by Dr Anastasios Tsaousis and Dr Varol Tunali to discuss their four-year COST Action project, which brought together experts from around the world to understand what the evidence is actually uncovering about the role of Blastocystis. Listen in to find out more!
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Dr. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe @aaberhe.com · 29/09/2026
Applications are now open for the UC President's Postdoc Fellowship Reach out if you want to submit an applicaiton focused on environmental/soil sciences, biogeochemistry, climate change, & related areas As a former fellow, this is a program I highly recommend 4 ECRs interested in academic careers
screenshot of the call for applications for the UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship program
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Tina Taphouse @tina-taphouse.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I will be here tomorrow Orange Shirt Day National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Queens Park, South Fields New Westminster 11 am - 4 pm Please take time tomorrow to honour and remember those who attended residential schools, I will be honouring my Mom, Dad, Aunties, Uncles, family. 🙏🏽🧡🪶
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Former NAACP President Prof. Cornell William Brooks debates the President of the Heritage Foundation & architect of project 2025 Dr. Kevin Roberts about DEI in Universities. Wish this was two hours bc there is so much more to discuss.
youtube.com
Project 2025 Architect and Former NAACP President Debate DEI
YouTube video by Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Natives make up 1.1-1.8% of the US population but 0.4% of all STEM workers 🫠 ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb2026...
ncses.nsf.gov
STEM Talent: Education, Training, and Workforce | NCSES | NSF
Talent is critical to the U.S. science and engineering enterprise and competitiveness. The U.S. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce represented about a quarter of the to...
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Leonor García-Bayona @lgbacteria.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Come be our colleague! Very supportive department for assistant profs!
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The Serfs (youtube.com/theserfstv) @theserfstv.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I don't think the right realizes how much of the internet is run by programmed and powered by queers. The brain drain in STEM alone is all but guaranteeing the end of US domination in those fields
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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 29/09/2026
In RBG hall. Symbolism vs material reality. “The latest allegation was reported to Cornell University Police by a third party on September 23 and is said to have taken place four days earlier inside Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall, a residence dorm on the school's North Campus.“
dailymail.com
Cornell rocked by new sex assault probe days after 'gang rape' lawsuit
The latest allegation was reported to Cornell Police by a third party on September 23 and is said to have taken place four days earlier at Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall on the school's North Campus.
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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 29/09/2026
"I believe that science derives its authority from something more than mastering the pipeline from data generation to publication. Rather, it comes from interactions within a community of people trained to interrogate evidence and answer for the conclusions they draw from it."
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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Did you know Michelangelo wrote poems?? Reading a couple with my teenager, thought you might find them entertaining too :) press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago...
press.uchicago.edu
Three Poems by Michelangelo
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Jess McLaughlin, PhD (they/them) @jfmclaughlin92.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
And exhibit 284028 in why you need to double-check the AI summary:
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Michele Bogart @urbaninsideout.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
If you see something, say something: two more days to comment on this overscaled arch, which would destroy views from Arlington Cemetery to major DC monuments like Lincoln Memorial. (And vice versa). See below for more info. savingplaces.org/monumental-a...
savingplaces.org
Monumental Arch | National Trust for Historic Preservation
Members of the public have the opportunity to provide input on a proposed Monumental Arch at Memorial Circle on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, near Arlington National Cemetery and along the P...
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Terry McGlynn @hormiga.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I became a biologist because of a museum exhibit. Real artifacts tell stories that are more powerful than anything we can get from scrolling. They are part of our engine for training the next generation of scientists. 🧪 scienceforeveryone.science/the-awesomen...
scienceforeveryone.science
The awesomeness of museums
Genuine artifacts tell the richest stories that fill our souls. And they fuel the scientific enterprise.
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Dana Davis Phf’nD @angrybychoice.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
‘Parts’ being everywhere except the south, where it is already high.
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Mindy Weisberger @laminda.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
For years, a group of scientists in Copenhagen fed their research into Anthropic's AI models to write code and draft manuscripts. @carlzimmer.com reports that among their work were findings about new enzymes—which Anthropic recently "discovered" independently, according to an announcement last week
nytimes.com
Did Anthropic’s A.I. Really Make a Scientific Discovery on Its Own? (Gift Article)
An expert at the University of Copenhagen said his team had been sharing its research with the company’s A.I. model, Claude, and that its new finding matched their work.
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Alex Wild @alexwild.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Claude appears to be engaging in academic dishonesty, which could be fireable for a human researcher. But one of AI’s major functions is ethics displacement, a shield that allows cheaters and other bad players to escape accountability.
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David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Want to help out your author friend without spending a dime of your own money? Request that your local library order a copy of my upcoming book Why Sustainable Seafood Matters!
Canva graphic showing my book Why Sustainable Seafood Matters
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Cri 🕊🐝🐜📝🎭⚽😷 @crawlieswithcri.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
And - your dogs will LOVE you for it! #LeaveTheLeaves #becurious
photo of a sheepadoodle dog jumping in fall leaves. she is launching herself to the left of frame.
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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Student journalists are always much more willing to hold violent students accountable that university administrators. And their call out of the “educational interventions” used by schools to left rapists off the hook is a must-read.
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David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Some great folks on this list! 🧪
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Get To Know Nature @gettoknownature.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Can’t sleep. Posting beach birds (Ruddy Turnstone by the Delaware Bay) #birds 🌿
A brown and black patterned shorebird with a white belly stands on a log in front of a vigorously crashing wave.
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David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
“Fish” can be both singular (one individual fish) or plural (multiple fish of the same species.) “Fishes” refers to individuals of different species. 🐟 Fish 🐟🐟🐟 Fish 🐠🐟🐡 Fishes Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.
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Artologica aka Michele Banks @artologica.net · 26/09/2026
Want to look smart? I just restocked a bunch of silk science scarves in my shop #sciart 🧪 The purple ombre neuron scarf! artologica.etsy.com/listing/5745...
artologica.etsy.com
Purple Ombre Neuron Scarf in Silk Chiffon - Etsy
This Scarves item by artologica has 95 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Washington, DC. Listed on Sep 26, 2026
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